Strength of the Heart
by Quicksilver
Summary: SM/FY xover. Kino Makoto encouters a new friend, Chou Ryuuen. But Ryuuen has his own secrets... please r/r
1. Default Chapter

Strength of the Heart

Quicksilver's Quill Offers   
Strength of the Heart   
An FY/SM Xover Romance   
mbsilvana@yahoo.com   
standard disclaimers   
Author's Note: Yes, there's a prequel to explain how the Seishi ended up in our world, but it's not finished- just accept they're there, and enjoy the story, ne?

  


Makoto was bounding down the street with a great deal of energy, smiling cheerfully. It had been so very long since she hadn't had to worry about an enemy trying to conquer the Earth, and she was bound and determined that she would enjoy it. The sky was clear, her homework was finished, and there were certainly some cute guys out there for her to fall in love with.   
Every now and then she would hesitate wistfully in front of a window, wishing one of her friends- preferably Minako- were here with her, giggling. She never really liked being alone, but today was one of those days where all the other Senshi had other things to do, things that involved families.   
Shaking herself out of her reverie, she turned around a corner, only to crash head-first into someone else. She had been moving with such speed that she bowled the person over.   
Makoto lay on top the person for a moment, looking down into a pair of stunned purple eyes. "Gomen!" she said hurriedly, rolling off of him, and coming to her feet hastily.   
"Not a problem," the man answered, coming to his feet easily.   
The man was beautiful, and Makoto would have thought that he was a woman if she hadn't had a nice feel of his chest. Only a few centimeters taller then herself, he had unusual lavender hair to match his striking eyes, and his braid hung down to his hips, the longest hair she'd ever seen on a male, aside from the Starlights. His features were delicate, and he possessed a lean build that reminded her of Haruka, in an odd sort of way. Underneath his left eye was a delicate beauty mark.   
She wasn't aware that she'd been staring until the man laughed, a rippling sound that tingled pleasantly on her ear. "Never seen a such a beautiful specimen before, have you?" he teased.   
Makoto felt a blush creep across her skin, and her green eyes widened. "I..." she trailed off as he giggled cheerily, and waved a hand with languid grace.   
"It's not a problem, I'm used to people viewing me rather... oddly," he said, eyes sparkling merrily. "I'm Chou Ryuuen," he said, after hesitating a second.   
She smiled at him cheerfully. "My name is Kino Makoto, but my friends call me Mako-chan."   
"Well, Mako-chan, I hope I can be one of those friends someday," he replied.   
Normally, by this point, Makoto would have been falling deep into "crush" at this point, but something about Ryuuen prevented that. There was an aura of sadness about him, something that called to her on a level she couldn't quite define. "Unless you make me angry, I'm everyone's friend," she said.   
He laughed again, and she decided she liked the sound. "My philosophy exactly. What are you doing today?" he asked.   
She smiled cheerfully. "I was going to shop, then maybe play some video games, then perhaps get something to eat."   
He grinned. "I love to shop! Do you mind if I tag along?" he asked.   
"Uh- I guess that's ok," she said, not exactly sure if it was. A strange man, out of nowhere, was voluntarily going shopping with her? It seemed too good to be true- and as a Senshi, she had learned that it probably was. Still, she could enjoy it until it ended.   
Ryuuen wrapped his arm through her own, and winked. "Where shall we go, m'lady?"   
Unable to believe her luck, she started for the mall.   
The next few hours were some of the strangest and most enjoyable of her life. Ryuuen proved to be a good companion, and seemed to truly enjoy shopping as much as any of her friends.   
Makoto held up a long dress in front of a mirror, trying to picture how she would look in it. Ryuuen looked it over with a critical eye. "I don't think that one is right for you- it'll make you look top-heavy," he said bluntly.   
She spun around, trying to refrain from hitting him. She was a strong girl, and could easily send him flying. "Nani?!" she roared.   
Ryuuen brought his hands up in front of his chest defensively. "I'm being honest!" he stated. "You have a great figure, but you have to keep it balanced!" he declared.   
She looked at the dress, then at him. The dress was a beautiful piece of satin, but it DID had ruffles around the neckline... he might just be right. She frowned at it, trying to decide what to do. He must have sensed her hesitation, because his kawaii smile returned and he grabbed her left hand, pulling her along with an easy strength that surprised her, especially when she looked at his lithe build. "I haven't been in town long, but I did discover a store I like a lot. It might have the right thing for you."   
She really wasn't looking to buy anything today, but consented to his plans. When he turned her off the main drag and onto one of the smaller side-streets, a feeling of dread began deep inside. Usually it was small shops that became a focus of energy-draining attacks, and though they hadn't seen any such attacks since the Black Moon, things could easily change. She swallowed that feeling, reminding herself that she was Sailor Jupiter, the strongest of the Senshi. It was her duty to inspect anything that looked suspicious.   
Finally he came to a small shop that had a beaded curtain for a door. He pushed right through it, then dropped her hand and raced toward a small woman who was sitting behind a counter, apparently embroidering something. "Kimi-chan!" he squealed, lifting the woman to her feet and swinging her around. Finally he set her down, merriment dancing in his eyes.   
The woman was flushed, and Makoto moved closer and was surprised to see that Kimi was easily in her fifties. Kimi laughed lightly. "Flatterer. It won't help you- I told you your clothes would be another two weeks, and I meant it."   
Ryuuen pouted playfully, and Makoto just stared. This certainly hadn't been what she'd been expecting. Ryuuen was unlike anyone she'd ever met before, but the closest she could come was... Fish-eye. A cross-dressing man who wanted, more then anything, to be a women... and Fish-eye had been a VERY homosexual man. "But Kimi-chan...." he whined.   
She tsked, then smiled up at Makoto. "Konnichi wa. My name is Kimiko, no matter what this rascal may have told you. What can I do for you?"   
Makoto started to stammer something, but Ryuuen cut her off. "We're looking for a dress- something she can wear on special occasions."   
Kimiko's mouth pulled up into a smile, revealing her wrinkles she had gotten through years of smiling. "Something unique... perhaps in green?"   
Ryuuen ran an eye over Makoto's curves critically. There was nothing sexual in his look, which started to confirm Makoto's suspicion that he was gay. Then he lowered his long lashes thoughtfully. "I don't think so. She wears green a lot, I bet- let's try something different. Brown. A rich chocolate brown."   
"I AM here, Ryuuen!" Makoto finally protested.   
He smiled at her, something he seemed to do a lot of, though there was sadness in his eyes. "Trust me on this one, Mako-chan. I've had a lot of experience with clothing, and I want to make sure you look as beautiful as you are."   
Kimiko had disappeared into a room and finally emerged carrying a bolt of brown fabric. With a proud smiled, Kimiko proffered it to her. Makoto looked at it with a critical eye, but finally picked it up. She inhaled in surprise- the cloth was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, a combination of satin and the finest silk. The material seemed to flow under her fingers, and she noted the subtle shading of browns and even some copper in the weave. "This is beautiful!" she exclaimed, then her face fell. "There's no way I'll be able to pay for it, though."   
Kimiko waved a finger. "I don't accept money, anyway. I work on a barter system."   
"Barter?" Makoto asked warily.   
"Hai. My family has plenty of money, but I get bored too easily to live in luxury. So I make clothes for people who do me favors."   
Makoto's spidey-sense was tingling, but Ryuuen put it to rest. "I do housework- a lot of heavy lifting, fixing things, stuff like that. You mentioned to me you liked to cook. Maybe making some cakes or something would be a fair trade?"   
Kimiko's smile nearly took in her ears. "If you know how to make a good chocolate-chocolate cake, and maybe some lasagna, that would be wonderful."   
"Just a meal in exchange for an outfit make of material like this?!" Makoto asked.   
"But the food has to be good. I trust Ryuuen enough to assume that one of his friends is reliable," Kimiko said, watching as the lavender-haired man started to wander around her shop.   
"I only met him today," Makoto felt compelled to inform her.   
"And I've only known him for a little over three weeks," Kimiko answered. "But there's just something about him that makes you feel like you've known him forever. He has a good heart, and there's something special about him- a good catch, he is."   
Makoto was tempted to tell Kimiko of her suspicions over Ryuuen's sexual preferences, but restrained herself. The two women fell into a chat over possible cuts and designs, ignoring the occasional delighted squeals Ryuuen produced when he found something that interested him particularly.   
Ryuuen finally came back to the pair of ladies. "Do you have any idea for a pattern, Kimi-chan?" he asked.   
"Like I'd tell you, you silly boy!" Kimiko scolded.   
Ryuuen tossed his braid and put his hands on his hips in a very feminine posture. "We-ell," he drawled, stringing out the word, "I guess that means Mako-chan and I will just have to go somewhere else," he said. He wrapped a firm hand around Makoto's wrist and started to pull her from the shop.   
"Matte!" Makoto said, wondering why she was letting this lunatic drag her around, "I haven't even been measured!"   
"I can tell by looking at you, dear," Kimiko called. The older lady picked up her embroidery, seemingly completely unoffended by Ryuuen's sudden rudeness.   
Makoto finally gave in and let herself be dragged off. "You're a strange one, Ryuuen-kun," she said as they returned to the mainstreet.   
"I thought we had already established that," he told her. Then he gave her a smile that would melt the coldest heart, his lavender hair shining in the mid-afternoon sun. "I remember you mentioning something about video games, but I unfortunately have to go home to do my homework. Perhaps we could do the arcade some other time?" he asked hopefully.   
Makoto heard the loneliness in his voice, and wondered about it. How could anyone like Ryuuen not have a bunch of friends? With his friendly nature, it seemed impossible for someone to hate him. She grinned at him. "Hai! How about tomorrow?"   
He nodded, eager and graceful. "I'll meet you here?" he asked.   
She agreed and they exchanged phone numbers. Then with a careless wave, Ryuuen was off, and Makoto was amazed that she had only met him a few hours before. It seemed like a lifetime ago. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Nuriko settled into the comfortable chair, relieved that they were renting such a nice place. Being housemates with the rest of the shichiseishi wasn't his idea of an easy life, but things were never boring. At least they had been able to find a seven-bedroom house, something he had believed was impossible until he had seen it. Nuriko was relieved for the space, something that the others would have believed impossible if they had known it.   
Miaka's world was as strange and wonderful as he had been told. But it was a lonely place as well. His fellows were out beginning to discover new lives for themselves, yet Nuriko was unable to move on as Chou Ryuuen, a simple high school senior. He seemed to be more tied to the past then the rest of them.   
Not that he expected the others to allow him to live in their pockets... it was he had no idea how to live for himself, and not Kourin or Miaka. Kourin was at peace, and Miaka had Taka to keep her company. So that left Nuriko at loose ends.   
None of the others shared his interests, which wasn't surprising. While Hotohori could occasionally be talked into going shopping for clothes, the times were few and far between. Nuriko longed to have someone to gossip with, and maybe someone who could understand the fear that had become a part of his life. He just couldn't admit that the fear was there... cold, snow... that monster... he shook his head before he could drown in those images again. Waking up every night in a cold sweat was enough... he refused to allow those dark dreams dominate his day as well.   
Nuriko picked up his textbook and opened it to his assignment. Luckily he had already mastered Chinese, so this really was brainless work for him. He allowed his thoughts to wander to the girl he had met earlier, and a smile traced his lips.   
Contrary to what others might say, Nuriko was not gay. When he had been Lady Kourin, she had fallen in love with the Emperor, just as her sister would have. Lady Kourin was a distinct entity from Nuriko, and Nuriko supposed that Chou Ryuuen would eventually become just as distinctive. Right now he was working on establishing who he really was, and Makoto was Ryuuen's first friend.   
The girl had a sadness about her that called to him, made him believe that if they ever got close enough for him to tell her the truth of his background, she would be able to understand what was so wrong with him... and she wouldn't laugh, and he wouldn't lose her respect.   
Besides, she knew how to shop and could keep up with him. He looked forward to their expedition tomorrow.. and used that thought to overwhelm the sense of desolation that came when he flipped the page to see a painted winter scene.   
Cold... snow... that damn rock.... 

END PART ONE 


	2. 

Quicksilver's Quill Offers:  
Strength of the Heart  
A Sailor Moon/Fushigi Yuugi Crossover  
mbsilvana@yahoo.com  
standard disclaimers  
AN: Feedback, Feedback, Feedback!  
  
  
Makoto walked into the Crown Ice Cream Parlor, and was surprised to see the rest of the Senshi, with the exception of Usagi, sitting at a table. From the half-eaten portions that sat in front of them, it looked like they had been there for a while. Minako was the first to notice her presence as she approached them.   
  
"Mako-chan!" she cried out. "Where have you BEEN?" she demanded.   
  
"We finished early and decided to come here," Rei said. "Usagi's still busy, but I thought you said you had no plans," Rei continued, almost accusingly.   
  
"I went shopping and made a new friend," Makoto answered, sliding into the seat beside Minako. Unazuki, Motoki's younger sister, appeared as though by magic, taking Makoto's order with experienced ease.   
  
"Was he cute?" Minako teased.   
  
"Very," Makoto admitted, unable to deny that. Ryuuen hadn't just been handsome- he had been beautiful.   
  
The other Senshi looked slightly surprised. "He must have looked like your old sempai then," Rei laughed.   
  
That caused Makoto to break out into gales of laughter herself. She laughed so hard her sides hurt, while her friends looked on in concern. Finally she brushed her watery eyes with her left hand as she tried to speak. "Kami-sama, no! Ryuuen-kun is the farthest thing from my old sempai!"   
  
"Ryuuen-kun?" Minako echoed. "You seemed to have gotten very close!"   
  
Makoto gave her a smile. "There was just something about him- I doubt I can explain it. It was like- like talking to one of you guys- an instant friendship, a complete understanding of each other."   
  
The others smiled at Makoto's enthusiasm for her new friend, though they were worried. Ever since they had become Senshi, everything eventually came back to their duty. They wished Makoto the best, but past experience was finally making them wary of new people. Minako hoped that it wouldn't lead to paranoia, but the way things usually went for them, a little more caution wouldn't be such a terrible thing.   
  
The four fell into easy gossip, Ami mentioning that Taiki had just sent a message letting them know that their planet was well on the way to recovery. Makoto was just about to ask how Yaten was when they heard the all-too-familiar sound of screaming from outside the window.   
  
They exchanged weary looks, trying to decide whether this was an old threat or a brand new one. Unfortunately, Usagi wasn't there, which meant that they would have to deal with this themselves. The four stood up and left, Ami remembering to leave enough money to cover their desserts. She made a mental note to collect from her friends later, then wondered why she was thinking such a petty thing when people were being attacked.   
  
The quartet ducked into a convenient ally, and after a rather interesting light show, four Senshi emerged, running with their magically enhanced bodies towards the screams. Rei skidded around a corner and came to an abrupt halt. Of course, the rest of the Senshi, unable to stop in time, piled on top of her, and they ended up in a jumbled mass.   
  
"Why did you stop?" Ami squealed from her place in the middle of the pile.   
  
"Look at that THING!" Rei retorted. "Looks like we have a new enemy. And of course /Odango Atama/ isn't around with one of those fancy wands of hers to help us!"   
  
The other three stopped squiggling and stared. The creature that was wandering down the street was a weird amalgamation of a bear, a computer and a girl. Every few steps it would grab the nearest person and stare at them intently. Obviously disappointed each time, it carelessly tossed the person aside, seeking out a new victim.   
  
Rei managed to get herself untangled from her fellows and raced towards the monster. "Mars Flame Sniper!" she called, pointing her arrow at the creature and letting it fly.   
  
The creature hollered angrily and spun away from the person it had just been about to grab. "How dare you interrupt this peaceful day! I, Sailor Mars, shall punish you!" she announced, pointing a graceful hand at the monstrosity.   
  
"And so will we!" the other three announced striking poses that look ridiculous but actually prepared them for the attack.   
  
They heard chuckling from behind them, and turned around to see four people approaching, three men in Chinese clothing and a girl who had her hair up in odangoes. "Who are you?" Mercury asked, worried. Were these the controllers of the monsters?   
  
The men were all handsome in their own unique ways. One of them had an untamed looked about him, and moved like a wild cat ready to spring. His hair was a brilliant orange, and his clothes were bright as well. Earrings dangled from his lobes, and Minako privately thought deserved the title bishounen.   
  
The second man was tall; tall enough that even Jupiter had to crane her head to see his face. The strong jaw showed a stoic nature, and Mercury saw the compassion in his eyes- surely these weren't the enemy, her instincts told her.   
  
The last was the most interesting. His face was smiling in a most unnatural fashion, and he was draped in a strange piece of cloth. His hair was a soft blue, yet in spite of his smiling face, Rei's intuition told her that he was probably the most dangerous of the group.   
  
The men exchanged glances before the blue haired man spoke. "We are the Suzaku seishi, no da... we heard some screams and decided to see if we can help."   
  
The carrot head laughed. "Aside from the desperate need of fashion consultants," he laughed. The Senshi fumed silently, but were rewarded by the girl smacking him upside the head.   
  
"Tasuki! They are the Senshi- they're superheroes- of course they have a different style. Besides, how many men do you know have both their ears pierced?" she asked him.   
  
"Um, this is very nice, but that monster is attacking, and we really need to stop it," Jupiter said. "For your own safety, we have to advise you to get out of the way."   
  
The men flushed slightly, but the red headed bounded ahead, throwing a challenging smirk back at his compatriots. "I'm not going to listen to a bunch of women!" he said, withdrawing what looked like a fan from where it was tied on his back. "Rekka Shi-EN!" he said, and the Senshi watched in amazement as fire flared from it, striking the monster in the face. "One cooked monster, the Tasuki special!" he said lightly, laughing as he struck an arrogant pose.   
  
The Senshi stared at him for a second, especially Mars, who was feeling a touch put out. SHE was suppose to be the one with fire powers, not some.... upstart! "Mars Flame Sniper!" she called again, using her most powerful attack, launching it at the monster with an elaborate gesture. The monster screamed and went reeling backwards. "Now THAT'S fire," she said.   
  
Tasuki looked at her, contemplating the many things he could say. Opening his mouth to speak, he was about to throw out a viscous insult at her, but was interrupted when the girl he had arrived with screamed. "It's getting back up!" she yelled urgently.   
  
"We don't have time for this!" Venus said. "You two can play your silly little one-upmanship games later, but right now we need to get rid of that thing!" she said, blowing a kiss into her hand, and flinging it out as she named her attack. The monster went reeling, and its eyes focused on Venus. Racing forward, it grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off her feet. In the midst of combat, it stared intensely at her, as though it was looking for something. The blonde warrior struggled, trying to break free.   
  
The blue haired man mumbled an incantation, sending out a sharp burst of energy from his staff. It struck Venus, and the others cried out in horror as she vanished. A second later she reappeared beside the spell caster, dazed. Her knees gave way beneath her, and she stared at the man in amazement.   
  
"What was THAT!" Venus asked.   
  
Mercury was wondering the same thing, wishing she could spare the time to pull her computer out and examine their unexpected allies. Still, the monster was closing in, and she had to help. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she yelled. She felt the familiar surge of water as her harp formed, sending out crippling waves of liquid towards the monster.   
  
The monster had been about to attack, but the liquid froze it dead in its tracks.   
  
"We're going to have to combine attacks!" Venus said, regaining both her composure and her feet.   
  
"We can't use the planet attack without Sailor Moon or the Outer Senshi!" Mars said.   
  
"Me and you, Jupiter and Mercury. That should damage it seriously enough!"   
  
The blue haired man nodded. "Tasuki, when they attack, you and I should as well," he advised.   
  
"One the count of three, then!" Venus said as the monster started towards them again. "One, two, THREE!"   
  
The monster didn't stand a chance. It went reeling backwards, assaulted by electric water, super-heated metal, a wave of flame, and a blast of chi. Torn to bits under the assault, it froze for one long second before shattering into a brilliant display of stars, screaming, "Fate!"   
  
The two groups stared at each other.   
  
Finally the brown-haired girl broke the silence. "I'm so pleased to meet you!" she squealed, clapping her hands giddily. "The Sailor Senshi! But where's Sailor Moon- isn't she your leader?"   
  
"Huh," Tasuki said scornfully. "Typically woman- chickening out. Probably got lost trying to find the place.   
  
Mars glared at the flame-haired man who had just dared insult her princess. It was true that Usagi's mental facilities weren't what they should be, but no one should point it out except her. "And who, exactly, are you, seishi?" she snapped in an irritated voice. "You certainly don't look local," she declared, waving a gloved hand at the man's outlandish clothing.   
  
"Well, at least I'm wearing enough to actually count as clothing," he retorted.   
  
Jupiter bit her lip. These people had just helped them against some kind of THING, and now Rei was ready to get into a knockdown dragged out fight. Mars was an excellent warrior and friend, but that temper of hers was going to get her in trouble. She saw Rei's purple eyes flash and sigh mentally, bracing herself for a show. She wasn't disappointed.   
  
"You-you bastard!" she spat angrily.   
  
He tsked. "Such filthy words from a women."   
  
The other people in his group turned and looked at him. "Are you feeling alright?" asked the tallest of them with a strong, but strangely quiet voice.   
  
"Never better. Let's leave these creatures alone." He turned and started to walk away.   
  
Rei's eyes flared angrily. "I'm not done with you, /baka/!"   
  
"But I'm done with you," he retorted with a laugh, waving the fan that had spat flames.   
Suddenly Jupiter felt a touch of premonition. She looked at Venus and Mercury and saw that they were aware of the same situation. "Mars-" Mercury began to say, but was too late.   
  
Mars' arm was already moving in a circle and her voice started to call the name of her earlier attack, "Burning Mandala!"   
  
The two groups watched as flaming projectiles hit the red-haired man. Rather then cook him entirely, it just singed him around the edges. "Kuso!" he yelled, spinning around to confront his attacker.   
  
"NOW I'm done," Rei said haughtily, spinning around, stalking away in her high heels.   
  
The Senshi watched her for a second, then followed.   
  
Behind them, Jupiter heard the other men start laughing, and the only female in their group spoke. "I wish Taka had seen that!" a young voice piped merrily. "Looks like you finally got some of your own medicine, Tasuki!"   
  
"Shut up, Miaka," the red head replied. "I HATE WOMEN!"   
  
  
END PART TWO   



End file.
